Cody Speaker of Timnath rides his bike along the Poudre River Trail at the River Bluffs Open Space on June 4, 2012. / Coloradoan library

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Coloradoan staff

The Poudre River Trail is a quarter-mile closer to becoming the 44-mile bike and running route between Bellvue and Greeley that county officials and recreationists have envisioned for years.

Larimer County’s Open Lands program on Tuesday announced its deal to acquire a quarter-mile easement to run the trail along the Swetsville Zoo property east of Fort Collins. The attraction featuring metal art built by Bill Swets is south of the Walmart Supercenter in Timnath.

County officials call the easement a “critical connection” for completing the trail, as it will connect future sections of the Poudre River Trail to Timnath’s Gateway Trail.

“Even though this is a small section of trail, it’s a big step forward for the Poudre River Trail,” Larimer County Commissioner Tom Donnelly said in a written release. “This connection sets the stage for future connections and brings the trail beyond Harmony Road.”

The easement acquisition was paid for by the voter-initiated, quarter-cent Help Preserve Open Spaces sales tax and a Great Outdoors Colorado, or GOCO, grant.

The Poudre River Trail has been in the works since the late 1970s and is now about 6 miles away from completion. A $5.1 million GOCO grant received in 2012 is being used to acquire additional open space and easements and to construct additional trail amenities.